Construction at the Port of Marseille

[daq57]

I am going on a cruise in late Sept and the ship will be stopping at Marseille. I have just recently read that there is heavy construction going on at the that port. If anyone has recently taken the Western Mediterranean cruise could we please hear from you and you thoughts on the status of that port. We were thinking of not going on a tour but to just walk around but if there major construction I don't want to be caught in the middle of all that mess.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[AngloinProvence]

Yes, there are major construction works all around the Old Port of Marseille and, to be frank, they have not been at all beneficial to the 2012 tourist season. However, though the Old Port itself is certainly not at its best, many of Marseille's other major sights are relatively unaffected.

 

Take a petit train (little tourist train) up to Notre Dame de la Garde for a lovely basilica and stupendous views, catch the shuttle boat to the Chateau d'If and Frioul Islands or take a boat trip along the coast to see the calanques (Mediterranean fjords). Or wander up through the warren of backstreets of Marseille's Old Town.

[aliciajayn]

Thanks for your suggestions, AngloinProvence. I'm considering taking a cruise in May that stops in Marseille, and from what I gather it's highly likely that the construction will still be continuing at that time. In either case, I was curious if the Petit Train stops close enough to the port to walk to it - I think that would be a nice way to travel to Notre Dame, but from the map it looks like it might be a hike just to get to the start of the train.

 

Thanks!

[AngloinProvence]

Originally the construction was to be finished by January in time for the star of Marseille's tenure as European City of Culture! It does seem to be dragging on but it should be more or less done by next May. At the moment the petit train departs from the Old Port, near L'Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) just a few yards from its usual stop. More about how the building works currently affect transport links on the Old Port: http://www.marseille-provence.info/marseille-marseilles/practical-information-travel-food-climate/20-how-to-get-around-marseille.html